Shah's son Pahlavi: Iran should free itself from the Islamic Republic!

Shah's son Pahlavi: Iran should free itself from the Islamic Republic!

Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former Shah of Iran, has urged the people of Iran to break away from the Islamic Republic. His message came at a critical moment after Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and military targets claimed the lives of several senior military leaders, including the heads of the Iranian army and the Revolutionary Guard. Pahlavi sees the weakness of Iran's current leadership as an opportunity for overthrow and calls on the military, police and security forces to join the people and uphold their oath as honorable soldiers. These statements reflect the ongoing discontent with the regime that has been growing in Iran for years, particularly after protests such as those in 2009 and the eruption of reactions to the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

Pahlavi also appealed to the international community not to offer a “lifeline” to the Iranian regime. He supported the movement for secular democracy in Iran and made it clear that he did not necessarily seek the restoration of the monarchy. The former shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, went into exile in 1979 amid army uprisings and public demonstrations, and since then there has been a deep rift between the Iranian people and the regime. Pahlavi compared himself to Cyrus the Great when he visited Israel and promised that the Islamic Republic cannot reflect the voice of the Iranian people who seek friendship with Israel.

Context of the protests

The roots of the unrest in Iran go back to the late 1970s, when violent mass protests against the Shah's regime led to bloody clashes with the state. These disputes eventually led to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, which transformed the country into a theocracy. On “Black Friday” in September 1978, the military fired on protesters calling for political and economic reforms, triggering a wave of strikes and demonstrations across the country.

The young democracy movement that is forming in Iran today reflects the desire for change. Pahlavi has positioned himself as a key representative of this movement, promoting the establishment of a modern democratic society and the return to genuine political dialogue. Despite his family heritage and historical ties to Israel, Pahlavi's approach is pragmatic and promotes a shared future based on mutual respect.

The role of the opposition

Reza Pahlavi leads the National Council of Iran for Free Elections (NCI), a group of exiled opposition leaders advocating for democratic reform in Iran. This group has the support of tens of thousands of pro-democracy activists, including former diplomats and military officials. At the same time, there are important differences in the Iranian opposition, particularly between the NCI and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), which pursues a republican vision of no return to the monarchy.

However, Pahlavi has also stressed that he is ready to serve as either monarch or president, depending on what Iran's political realities require. Cohesion and cooperation between the two opposition groups appear to be crucial to any chances of successful regime change in order to realize the long-awaited democracy in Iran.